Alice's Story
by bitter.honesty
Summary: Years after the lost princess comes home, she gives birth to a new princess, named Alice, who although looks like her mother, is much more like her father. On her adventures, will she finally take up the life she really loves, and find a thief of her own?
1. Prologue

**_Hey everybody. This is my brand new story, based on the wonderful movie "Tangled" by Walt Disney Studios. I beg of you, please PLEASE review this story so I can better my future writing, since this story is actually already completed. Keep in mind that Alice is OC, and so is a future charecter whom I will not mention at this time. The storyline flips back and forth between Alice and her parents, so I'm sorry if you dont care as much about one point of view as opposed to the other, but I felt it moved the story along better that way. _**

**_Also, DO NOT STEAL THIS STORY. Tangled isnt mine, but Alice and Gale are, and it would break my heart if somebody used them without my permission. _**

**_This is the story that I'm proudest of out of all of my writings, so I really hope you enjoy it. :)_**

**_~Lexi_**

**Prologue**

_This is the story of my girl._

_Not Rapunzel, I'm talking about our little girl, Alice. Once upon a time, Princess Rapunzel was going to have a baby._

_*Eugene freaked out.*_

_I did not!_

_*You did so!*_

_Ok, maybe I freaked out a little._

_*Anyway, I was going to have a baby.*_

_Right. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and we named her Alice._

_*Alice Rider Fitzherbert.*_

_Yes. She had brown hair with golden streaks, the same color her mother's had once been._

_*We knew that those streaks would have the same power my entire head of hair had once had. We worried a little, that her hair would grow like mine did as well.*_

_Luckily for Alice, it didn't. It grew at a normal pace, and eventually her hair reached her waist. She grew up, and looked exactly like her mother._

_*Except she has your eyes.*_

_Yes, well anyway she still looks more like you._

_*But, unlike her sister, she is not like me at heart. Our baby is more like her father, through and through. She has the spirit of an adventurer. She's stubborn, and rebellious, and doesn't exactly listen well.*_

_She's also smart, and funny, and agile._

_*Luckily she isn't full of herself.*_

_What's that supposed to mean?_

_*Eugene, you know full well what that means.*_

_Yes, well, anyway, we knew she'd leave us someday. She snuck out constantly, and we would never know until somebody from the kingdom told us the next day._

_*One day, she finally did leave.*_

Hey! What are you two doing? Shouldn't I be in charge of telling my own story?

_How do we know you aren't going to tell it wrong?_

Dad, I'm not you, ok? I'm not going to make up little white lies to make myself look better.

_Hey!_

_*Well, if you think you can tell the story fine, go ahead sweetie.*_

Thank you Mom.

_I still think I should be a part of this—_

Dad. Really. I'm fine. Anyway, this is my story. Told by the person who it actually happened to.

So, here goes nothing.

Once upon a time…


	2. Chapter 1

_**Okay, so I decided to put the first chapter up along with the prologue. I mean, why not? But, unfortunately, I've got a lot of stuff to do today, so I can only add these two. But I promise i'll update again tomorrow!**_

_**Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading my story. Never forget to review, tell me what you liked, hated, etcetera, etcetera... I'll really apprieciate it if you do, even if it's constructive criticism. **_

_**Tangled does not belong to me, however Alice kind of does.**_

_**So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy Chapter One.**_

**Chapter One**

I slid open my window, crawling into the night. I felt the shingles of the castle roof under my feet as I slid down an entire story to the next set of windows. I had done this so many times; it was as easy as breathing. Only this time, I wasn't just sneaking out to see my friends in the kingdom. I was actually leaving, off to pursue a dream.

"Pascal!" I called into my parent's window. They stirred a little, but they were both such heavy sleepers that they didn't wake.

The little chameleon clambered up the windowsill and onto my hand. "It's time to live a dream Pascal," I said, putting him on my shoulder.

"Love you guys," I whispered into the dark room, and then hopped onto their balcony. Looking below me, I decided it was safe to jump. I vaulted over the balcony railing, twisting around in the air and digging two knives into the roofing of the castle tower. After skidding a few feet, I halted, just before the edge of the tower roof. "Thanks for teaching me dad," I muttered to myself, smiling. Everyone told me I was more like my dad, although I looked just like my mother, Rapunzel. I did look a lot like her; my hair even moved like hers, although it was brown with yellow streaks in it, which held the same power her hair once did, although my hair only fell just below my waist. There was, however, one difference between our looks. I definitely had my father's eyes; a brownish hazel color.

The main differences between me and my mother were our personalities.

I hate dresses with a passion. I wear a white button up long sleeve shirt (which I roll up to my elbows) and a pair of black pants that stop around mid-calf and are frayed at the cuff. The only time I ever wear a dress is during some sort of formal event or something. I usually wear my hair in a braid, unless I have to wear a dress, at which point I just wear it down.

My mother tells me I have the spirit of an adventurer.

I guessed she'd know for sure in the morning.

At this moment I was feeling around the stone wall of the castle with my foot, trying to find a spot to put it so I could dig my knives into the wall. Finally I found a small crevice, and praying a spider wouldn't bite me, I stuck my bare toes in. Just like my mother, I never ever wear shoes.

With a forceful blow, I dug my knife into the mortar between the bricks and hung on it a little to make sure it was in tight. Then I did the same with the other knife. Soon I was scaling down the wall, hoping I wouldn't get caught. That would be bad. Although pretty much everyone in the castle liked me just fine, they didn't think I should be sneaking out all the time. They thought I should stay in the castle, learning how to become a perfect young lady and a wonderful little princess and future-ruler-of-the-kingdom. It really bothered me, since my little sister Lily would be perfect for the job in a few years. She's only three years younger than me, (I being sixteen at this point) and she's just the proper little girl they're looking for.

I wish they'd give up on me already.

I supposed it would be a pretty big letdown, when the kingdom found me gone. Next week was Princess Alice Rider Fitzherbert—I just go by Alice Rider, thank you—'s birthday. So I not being present for my own birthday… well sheesh! Even though my mother was never there for hers. She's always out on the water with my dad, watching the lanterns. She told me that, when she was found by my dad, it had always been her dream to see them, and she never even realized that they were always for her. All my life she and my dad had been telling me to follow my dreams, so I guessed that they couldn't blame me for finally doing so.

I yanked the knives out of the mortar, fifty feet below where I started, and hopped onto the roof of the stables. Silently, I walked over to where the hole in the ceiling was, and nimbly jumped through the hole. First, I walked over to a familiar stall, and pulled out an apple from my bag. "Hey, Max." The horse whinnied at me and took the fruit from my hand, giving me a hard look, asking what I was doing at this hour. "I'm going to find my dream, Max. I'll be ok. You and dad prepared me all my life for this stuff."

The horse continued to glare at me.

"Trust me, I'll be fine. Hey, maybe I'll meet a thief, huh? Then you can come find him and relive the glory days, right?"

The horse's stare softened, and he pulled his lips over his teeth in a smile. Then he reached his head out to me, and nuzzled my neck.

"Aw, Max, I'll miss you too," I said, reaching out and wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I'll come back, don't worry."

The horse pulled back and nodded, his eye glistening a little.

"I'm gonna take Lady, so if Mom comes down here, try to tell her I'll keep in touch, ok?"

The horse nodded, then went to the back of the stall and sighed.

"Bye Max," I muttered, and then turned around to the stable just across the hall. "Hey, Lady, wake up. Let's go."

My black-as-ebony horse lifted her head and turned her ears towards me, and came over to the gate. Unlatching it, I grabbed a bit and her old blanket. I folded the blanked and stuffed it in a saddle bag, then grabbed her tack and put it on her, checking all the buckles to make sure they were tight before climbing onto her back. "Alright Lady, we have to be sneaky about this. Walk quietly until we get onto the street, alright?"

Lady nodded, and walked as quietly as she possibly could out of the castle grounds. Soon we were out on the street, and I snapped the reins and let her go towards the bridge full boar. Her hooves were clopping against the stones rather loudly, but nobody stirred from their homes. However, I knew we weren't in the clear just yet. We had to be across the bridge before I could stop worrying.

I heard the rushing of the water under us as we raced across the bridge, and finally I sighed with relief. We were out.

"To the Snuggly Duckling Lady," I told her, "they'll understand."

It took a lot less time on horseback than on foot; we were there in fifteen minutes. I tied Lady to a post outside, and gave her some carrots before going in.

"ALICE!" Everybody yelled in unison.

I grinned. "Hey guys."

"What brings you here at this time o' night?" Hookhand asked me.

"A dream," I told him.

He smiled. "Ah, an excellent reason. I don't suppose your parents know you're here?"

"No, they'd never let me go."

"Well, I don't know about that. But never mind. We'll let you stay here for the night, free of charge."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, I can sleep outside, it's fine really—"

"No, I insist. There's a room upstairs where you can sleep."

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

The next morning, Eugene walked into his daughter's room, expecting to find her, up and ready to go for a walk like they usually did. Instead, he found Rapunzel sitting in the rocking chair, tears sliding down her face and a letter in her hand.

"She's gone, Eugene."

Confused, Eugene walked over to the rocking chair and picked Rapunzel up, sitting down and keeping her in his lap. Gently, he took the letter from her fingers and read it.

_Mom and Dad,_

_I guess if you found this, you've just realized I'm gone. Surprise! Sorry. I left because this life, it just isn't right for me. It never has been. Look at Lily. She's your princess. Not me. It's like everybody always tells me, I'm too much like dad. I'm not meant to lead anyone besides myself._

_I left to find a dream. My dream is simple, I want to see things. Things that I never got to see from the windows of the castle. I want to see a desert, and a different ocean, and cliffs and mountains and prairies and countryside. I want to live like I would've had the chance if you never would've discovered you were the lost princess, Mom._

_Don't try to find me. I have to do this; I can't just sit in my room for the rest of my life, just wishing. I have to go. When I've done what I need to do, I'll come back._

_If you want to know, the first things I want to see are the tower and the orphanage. I want to know where you guys grew up._

_Talk to Max. I told him to tell you something._

_I have Pascal and Lady with me, so don't worry about them._

_Love,_

_Alice Rider._

Eugene sighed and put the letter down.

"I don't understand it Eugene, why would she just leave? Why wouldn't she tell us?"

"That girl has been telling us her whole life. She always sleeps on the balcony, she refuses to wear dresses, she sneaks out, and she wanders around the castle aimlessly one minute and the next she's missing for hours, hidden on a ledge high in a room somewhere, reading about pirates and adventurers and Flynnigan Rider. We should've expected it."

"Yeah, I guess," Rapunzel sighed, wiping the tears from her cheek. "When I read that letter, I couldn't help but think, 'we trapped her here, just like Gothel trapped me.' We really did Eugene, didn't we?"

"I don't think we did. Alice was always outside, out and about. She always did exactly what suited her best, and we never stopped her. Gothel was an evil woman Rapunzel. You aren't.

"I know, but I pushed her, and pushed her, and pushed her to be the princess, and the future queen. She never wanted to be, but I wouldn't give up. She's right you know; about Lily."

"I know."

Rapunzel sniffed, and then got up. "Come on, let's go talk to Max."

Eugene stood up and grabbed her hand. "Of all the horses that girl could pick to have us talk to, it just had to be Max, didn't it?"

Rapunzel laughed and leaned on him as they walked down the empty corridor, towards the stairs, and later, towards the stables.


	3. Chapter 2

**_Oh my God i suck._**

**_I'm sorry guys! i know i promised to update sooner, but i was a little discouraged by something..._**

**_nevermind._**

**_Anyhow, here is the next chapter to Alice's Story, and i sure hope you like it. for a quick little spoiler, the next chapter is where somebody very very important is introduced to the story._**

**_I wont say much more, just that i hope you like it and always remember to review!_**

**_~Lexi_**

**Chapter two**

I left the Snuggly Duckling early in the morning, before anyone else had woken up. I wrote a note thanking them, then left. I wanted more than anything right now to find the tower. I had to see how my mother grew up. Soon, I'd go see the orphanage and find out how my father spent his childhood, but that was later.

Mother had told me many times how one would get to the tower. She told me someday, she'd go back, to either tear it down, or remember what she left behind. But if she was going to tear it down, I needed to see it first.

I took Lady deep into the woods, until finally I found a bunch of vines that were stuck together in such a way, they looked like a curtain. I hopped off of Lady and pulled them back, revealing a dark tunnel. Pascal, seeing where I was going, turned deep black and glared towards what little we could see of the tower.

"Come on Lady," I coaxed her inside, and then taking her by her reins, I lead her towards the tower.

"Pascal, I'm nervous," I whispered. He squeaked and looked at me questioningly. "I just, don't know what I'm going to find in there. As far as I know, it's been uninhabited for nearly nineteen years. What if I don't like what I find in there?"

Pascal hummed and rubbed his head against my neck reassuringly.

"And on top of that, it has to be hard for you too. You were stuck there just as long as Mom was."

He nodded, but seemed unfazed by this information.

I laughed unhumorously. "You're getting old, aren't you then?"

He turned silver and trembled, before smiling and returning to green.

I laughed, and then turned my attention back to the tower. We were now at the base of it. I sighed, looking up. I was so scared of what I would find up there.

I tied Lady to a nearby tree, and then took my knives out of my belt. Gripping onto them with each hand, I dug one into the cracks between the stones, then I did the same with the other, only a bit higher. I climbed and climbed up every inch of the seventy foot monstrosity, trying to get up there fast.

When finally I climbed over the railing, the first thing I noticed was the hair.

It wound around the room, wrapping around every pole once, going under things, over things, and around things. It was all brown, not blonde, like my streaks. But then again, my mother did tell me what happened to it when it was cut.

I reached down and grabbed a handful of it, more than anything astounded that it was still here. I tugged on it, but it didn't feel brittle or fragile in any sort of way. Instead, it felt incredibly strong, like mine. I put it back down, and then looked around the room a bit. It was dark, but I could see a broken mirror, shackles, and old dried blood on the floor. I could almost feel the desperation that still lingered in that spot, the sadness, and the overall hopelessness. I tried to avoid going over there, as I slid my fingers over an old green chair. Then I walked up the stairs, and sat in my mother's old bed, and looked up at all of her paintings. I wondered how boring it must have been, always stuck here, just trying to make a day go faster.

I wondered if it was love at first sight for her, seeing my father's face for the first time.

I wondered if it was for him, when she stepped out of the shadows for the very first time.

I lay back on the old, hard, dusty mattress. "Pascal, do you think I let them down?" I whispered.

The little chameleon nuzzled into my neck.

"I hope you're right. I want them to understand, at least a little. I can't just sit there anymore, just trying to be something I'm not. I'm not like Dad; I don't have anybody worth trying for. I just have a kingdom who's disappointed in me and parents who are stuck and a little sister that's entirely looked over by everyone. Maybe now that I'm gone, they might give her the attention she deserves."

Pascal hummed.

I sighed and stood up. "I think its best that I leave now. After all, what can I get from an empty tower? I can't save these paintings; they're on the wall. Mom's read those books thousands of times, and I have no interest in them, unless they're about adventurers. Lily won't want them, because we already have copies in the library. I guess all the things I could take, I should probably leave here."

I descended the stairs and stopped to look at the room for a minute, then sighed, pulled out a knife, and cut off a chunk of the hair on the ground. I wrapped it around my wrist and tied it there; tugging on the knot to make sure it was tight. "There. It's like I'm taking Mom with me."

Then I retrieved my other knife from my belt and slowly started climbing down the tower wall.

Two days before I left the palace, there had been a ball.

A royal ball, for the birthday of one of my shirttail cousins or something. I never actually cared or bothered to pay much attention, really. I just mainly focused on the breeze in my skirt from having to hold my dress up to climb the stairs, and the fact that I wasn't allowed to eat like I normally did. "Tiny bites!" my etiquette instructor always squeaked at me. Pshh. I never listened to her anyway.

Well, on that day, a boy came up to me and asked to dance.

I think he was a count or something, and about eighteen. Because it would be rude to refuse a guest, (although I tried anyway) I let him lead me out onto the ballroom floor.

Someone was playing the piano, and although I would much rather go and sit by the player and just listen, I was forced to let this boy put his hand on my waist and take my left hand, and I had to put my arm on his shoulder (without rolling my eyes).

Well, as it turned out, this boy was actually quite funny. We spent the entire dance making fun of the other royals and high classers, with their noses upturned and their mouths puckered. We tried to veer away from the fact that all their expressions were directed at me, even though my royal bloodlines were stellar, despite the fact my father was a mere orphan and a thief. I still had a royal family on my mother's side dating well back in history.

Anyway, all these people were directing their nasty looks at me, in my simple blue dress and my hair down, and (though they couldn't see unless I lifted my skirt a little) my lack of shoes. I thought my dress was actually very nice, long sleeved and square neckline, showing a bit of my chest and tying all the way down to the end of the torso piece, and then the skirt flowed out all the way to the ground. But of course, I looked dreadful compared to all these nobles with their fancy suits and lavish dresses with intricate designs and such impossible waistlines that I was absolutely positive must have been courtesy of tightly laced corsets that they couldn't possibly even think about breathing in. Looking around, this boy (whose name was Jacob) lead me out to the garden to try to escape all of the glares. I was about to thank him for saving me, when he turned to me with cold eyes.

"Why don't you just leave? It's obvious that you're different. Nobody likes you. Nobody wants you," he sneered.

Realizing all of a sudden that the dance and everything had been trickery, a show for me and my parents, I narrowed my eyes, closed my hand into a fist, and swinging with all my might, punched him in the face.

He didn't fall down as I would have preferred, but he did yell and scream at me all the way inside, clutching his face, to the food table, where I picked up the enormous punch bowl, lifted it high in the air, and dumped it all over him, ruining what must have been a very expensive suit.

Then for effect, I smashed a pie in his face.

I walked over to the piano, and stood on the stool. "I have just been informed by my lovely dance partner sporting the punch and cherry pie that I am not wanted in this kingdom, nor anywhere else, and I should leave. Well, I have wonderful news. Will do! Mark my words, I will be gone within the week. Thank you." Then I got off the piano stool, lifted my skirt and bundled it in one hand on my side so everyone could see my feet, and ran through the ballroom and up the stairs, giggling freely the whole way.

They thought I was kidding.

Rapunzel was pacing around the library, _The Adventures of Flynnigan Rider_ in her hand. Just then, Eugene walked in and handed her a cup of tea. "Hookhand was just here. She stayed there last night, and was gone before anyone was up."

"Oh, I hope she'll be careful…"

"Alice has been learning things from me and those books all her life. She knows how to handle herself out there. How's Lily taking it?"

"She's shaken up a little. None of us were expecting this."

"Should've been, after the ball the other night."

"We didn't think she meant it."

"I don't know why we didn't; Alice never bluffs."

"I know."

Rapunzel held up the book and examined the cover. It was an old copy, and the spine was a little worn from Alice and Eugene reading it so many times. If you flipped through the pages, every now and then you could find a little pencil note in the margins, Alice marking her favorite part or commenting on a section or reminding herself to add something to her long list of things she needed to see or do. _I guess she gets to do them now,_ Rapunzel thought.

"Have you read what she wrote in there?" Eugene asked her.

"I didn't sleep at all last night. I was flipping through her favorites."

"Does it bother you, that she's probably seen the tower by now?"

"No. She's a strong girl, and she doesn't know what it was actually like in there. She's heard the stories, but she doesn't have the memories. Don't worry about that. She'll be ok. Are you ok with her seeing the orphanage?"

"Well, it wouldn't exactly matter if I wasn't ok with it, but I guess it's probably a good thing that she wants to see how it all started. Where we came from."

"Her life has been so different from ours."

"Not really. Everyone says she's more like me, and in some ways, maybe. But she grew up just like you did. She's been trapped here, all her life. I know I told you something different yesterday, but I've been thinking. She's trapped like you never were. She can't do anything without somebody watching her every move, and everything about her gets announced to the kingdom. She doesn't do well in the limelight, but we never realized it, did we?"

"We forced her into it."

"Do you think she hates us?"

"No. If I know my baby girl, she's probably scared that she's let us down. But I'm so proud of her. She's so strong, and sure. You're probably right Eugene; she'll be ok out there. But I'm not sure we'll be ok in here without her."

"She'll come back. She said so in her letter."

"And we'll be right back where we started."


	4. Chapter 3

**_Hey everybody! thank you all so so much for the reviews! they have given me incredible insight. _**

**_Some of you have told me that i wrote the wrong name for the "Snuggly Duckling."_**

**_Thank you for pointing this out for me, and other mistakes i made in this story. I started writing this literally two days after i watched the movie for the first time in theaters, so i hope you understand that the accuracy is not exact. however, i will be fixing the errors very soon._**

**_Also, one of you pointed out that i should bring Lily into this a little more. i promise you that her point of view will be a part of this story very soon, and also Alice will dwell on her sister a little more. _**

**_sorry for the mistakes, thank you for the reviews, and i hope you like this next chapter._**

**_new readers, please review, because as you can see the reviews have been very helpful to me lately :)._**

**_enjoy._**

**_~Lexi_**

**Chapter Three**

I was walking in the forest now, heading away from the tower, enjoying myself. I wasn't tugging on Lady; instead I had taken out her bit and stuffed it into her saddlebag. There was a town a couple miles out, but I wasn't worried about getting there too fast. It wasn't even eight yet, and the sun had only risen about an hour and a half ago. I was enjoying the warmth and the nice breeze and the sun so much, I unbraided my hair and let it hang down my back. The wind blew through it, airing it out. I smiled.

Just then, I heard a branch snap from behind me. "Sorry Lady Girl," I apologized, climbing up onto her back quickly and jumping into a tree. I stood balanced on a branch, leaning out so I could see the path below. Lady had backed into the shade of a willow tree, so she couldn't be seen either. Very quietly I moved forward a branch, perching on it like a gargoyle.

Suddenly a young man, around seventeen probably, came walking down the path, leading a gray horse. He had a bag on his hip, which he had a hand on like it held something very valuable inside. He was tall, with black hair that was very shaggy and hung in his eyes. He was very handsome I noted, as I looked at him. Just then, he looked up into my tree, and I was sure he had seen me. I hopped through the branches and leaped out across the path and into another tree, grabbing a branch with my hands and latching my knees around a different one, swinging my torso and coming to a sitting position.

The teenager looked up at the new tree I was in, and pulled a sword out of its sheath. I stood and walked out to the end of my branch, balancing impeccably, curling my toes to keep my surface steadier. Careful not to show my face, I peered at him through the small holes in the leaves. I drew my two knives, and waited.

He leaned down and picked a rock up from the ground, chucking it directly at where I stood in the canopy of the tree. I took my right knife in my left hand in order to catch the stone, and chucked it back at his head (which he dodged), before hopping down branches before dropping onto the dirt path. I lifted my head and looked at him. I could barely hear him gasp, but I ignored that, lunging at him to try and knock his sword away. Startled, he jumped back, before swinging at me with his blade.

Where he held the advantage of distance, I had the skill.

I parried every blow effortlessly, not even worried as the edge of his sword struck my knives closely to my hands, which were barely protected by small hand guards. Finally, he made a decent move and poised the sword so the point was at my neck. "It looks as though you have won," I said, calculating, "but then again, looks can be deceiving." I back bended, moving my neck away from the danger, and brought up my foot, kicking his sword out of his hand, and it twirled through the air before sinking into the ground inches from my face. I continued flipping back to a right position, arching over the blade and grabbing it and holding it as well as one of my knives in my right hand, and finally made it back to a standing position, lifting my arm to point the sword at his throat.

I gave him a hard look before returning my knives back to my belt and held out the sword. "You won't kill me, will you?"

He smiled and took the sword. "I don't think I'd be able to kill a fighter of your caliber, ma'am.

"It's Alice actually. And you?"

"Gale."

"Nice to meet you. You put up quite a fight."

"Well, it was an excellent match, even if I went easy on you."

"Ridiculous. If you had been going easy on me, halfway through the match you would've realized my skill and gotten noticeably better. However, you didn't."

He nodded, admitting defeat. "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Running."

"From what?"

"Home. You?"

"Running."

"From…?"

"People who want me dead."

"Are you a murderer then, Gale?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then, I don't suppose the things in that bag belong to you."

"No they don't. That was a good guess."

"Let's just say I'm well educated on the subject. Which way are you heading?"

"Nowhere in particular."

"Well, if you are heading in the direction I am, perhaps we should travel together for a ways. Then we would have double the protection, and we wouldn't be quite so lonely."

"Sure."

I nodded, and then retrieved Lady from under the tree, leading her onto the path and starting to walk forward.

Thinking about how when they had met, my father had stolen my mother's crown jewels, without realizing they were hers. Thinking about the bag Gale was carrying, I wondered if he might have stolen something of mine, or my family's.

"So what did you steal?" I asked.

"Some things from a palace."

I jumped. "Like what?"

"Ah, an old hairbrush, a necklace, some jewels, and a doll. I don't think the doll will be worth much."

"Huh."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just wondering if you took anything of mine."

"I don't see how I could've, since I stole from the… wait, what did you say your name was?"

"Alice."

"No, you're full name."

"Titles and last names included?"

He nodded.

"Princess Alice Rider Fitzherbert of Corona."

His eyes widened and he scooted away from me, edging towards his horse.

"I don't care about those things though. Unless the hairbrush is my grandmothers, then I'll be willing to buy it back."

He looked at me warily. "You aren't going to try to turn me in or get me hanged?"

"Of course not! You're just a thief, and I assume you only steal expensive things, and expensive things come from expensive people, so they won't miss it. Besides, my Father was a thief once."

"I heard about that."

"I'm just surprised that Maximus hasn't caught you yet."

"Do you mean that demon horse that tries to steal your stuff back and kill you?"

"Oh Max wouldn't kill anybody. He's just a workaholic."

"You mean demon. I think you mean demon."

I laughed. "Determined."

"Demon."

"Well, we'll have to agree to disagree."

"Fine, but I still maintain that he's a demon."

I smiled and looked at the path ahead of us. It was completely covered by the shade of the trees, with only bits of sunlight striking through. All around us the forest was teeming with life, birds chirping and a couple yards away a woodpecker was searching for food. I started humming, thinking of an old song my mother used to sing to me. I couldn't sing it of course, unless I wanted to scare the person walking beside me.

_Flower gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fate's design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine._

"What are you humming?" Gale asked me.

"An old family song," I told him.

"How does it go?"

"I'm not exactly supposed to sing it unless I need to."

"Is it like a prayer?"

"Something similar I suppose. It's not really _to_ anybody like a prayer is, but I'm still not supposed to just sing it."

He nodded. "I understand. Hey, what's it like living in the castle?"

"The truth? It's like prison. I don't belong there. I never have. Everybody sees me as a failure there. It's like; I'm just not good enough for anybody. Nobody wants me there, I guess."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

He nodded, and we continued walking towards the break in the trees, towards the sun, and beyond that, a different town.

Eugene was running towards the dining room with a letter in hand. He had been tempted to read it when the deliverer gave it to him, but he wanted Rapunzel to read it too. He rounded a corner, and stormed through the doors, running to the window and handing Rapunzel the letter. "It's from Alice," he told her.

Without another word, she opened it and held it out so both of them could read it.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm doing ok. I went to see the tower. I didn't take anything with me, because I don't think you'd want to relive what happened in there. Right now, I'm writing to you from the nearest town to the north. I think it's called Bridgeport. It's right on the river, so sending this was probably rather fast.

I need to tell you something. I met somebody while on my way to this town. His name is Gale. You're either going to laugh, or be slightly mad at me for this last part, but as it turns out, he's a thief.

"That girl gets herself into so much trouble," Rapunzel muttered.

"Sounds like a blonde that I used to know," Eugene said, winking at her.

Rapunzel laughed and looked back at the letter.

I think we'll be traveling together for a while. I hope so. It's nice knowing somebody who's running too.

I love you both, and I'll send another letter soon.

-Alice

Rapunzel folded up the letter and put it back neatly in the envelope. "I hope she's ok."

"She'll be fine. After all, her mother was just as determined and rebellious as she was once."

"And her father was just as strong and hard-headed and tough once."

"Once? I still am quite tough, thank you."

Rapunzel reached out and smacked him in the stomach.

"Oh, it's on." Then he reached out to tickle Rapunzel, but she was already gone. Agile, just like her daughter, she was hopping from the top of the table to hang onto the chandelier and swing around.

"Missed me, missed me, now you've gotta kiss me!" she chanted, giggling.

Eugene grinned and held out his arms, which Rapunzel hopped down and ran into, giving him a kiss.


	5. Chapter 4

**_Hey guys! I'm so sorry about not putting this chapter up for so long. :/ but, here it is, and i made it extra long just for you! :) _**

**_Lily finally made her way into this chapter, i hope you like her. _**

**_As always, never forget to review!_**

The town was better than I had imagined. It was a trading town, swelo everywhere was shops and bakeries and a shipping port right on the river. Gale watched me as I danced around, going to every store and buying several things. Soon I came back to him and Lady and his horse, Cobalt, with arms full of things that I had bought and a huge smile on my face. Gale took some of it and helped me load it into the saddlebags. Soon they were stuffed and my load was lifted off of me.

I smiled at Gale, before turning around and walking over to the bakery, where I bought a cupcake and devoured it happily. I looked around and saw a band on the street, playing, and thought I might as well give the teenager my mom once was a little déjà vu. I walked over to the band and started dancing happily, pulling random people in like my mother once did. Then I went over and took Gale by the hand, having him put his hand on my waist and mine on his shoulder, and we started dancing, he very awkwardly compared to me, because I had grown up with dancing lessons all my life.

We twirled around, and I leaned back my head and giggled delightedly. He released me and spun me around, pulling me back into my arms and turned us around, swinging to the rhythm of the music. I smiled and looked in his eyes.

He laughed and said "You must be enjoying this, running away."

I grinned, as we turned again. "I like it, not having to be anything for anybody."

He smiled and dipped me slightly. "I'm glad."

I smiled we spun around and around, and the world was whipping by me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a white horse, with a glare plastered to his face.

"Max!" I cried happily. I looked at Gale. "Thanks for the dance." I smiled and kissed him on the cheek, then broke away from him and ran over to Max.

I ran up and hugged him around his neck, squeezing tightly. "I missed you Max," I whispered.

Max whinnied and pressed his jaw against my back, hugging me in return.

"I bet you're here for my thief," I whispered into his ear.

He pulled back and nodded, looking around me at Gale, glaring.

"Does it remind you of Mom?" I asked.

He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and nodded.

"Maybe he'll turn out like dad."

Max pondered that.

"I'll tell you what. I don't need him and it's not my birthday, but I don't want to be alone while I'm traveling. I want someone to help me find my dreams. So come with us, if he runs off you can get him, and otherwise we'll travel, and find dreams. How 'bout it Max?"

He looked at me, and then reached down to my hand, nibbling at it with his lips.

"For an apple?" I asked. Then I went over to a stand, and bought the biggest, reddest apple I could find. "Keep your end of the deal," I said, giving him the fruit. He ate it greedily, and I smiled. I scratched the spot in between his eyes, and he closed them happily and leaned into my hand. I looked back at Gale. "Come on, he won't hurt you."

Gale glared at Max. "Demon horse."

Max lifted his head and returned the look.

"Might I translate? He thinks you are a stupid petty thief who has no business running around with a princess," I informed Gale.

"Gee, tell me how you really feel."

"I didn't say it, Max did."

"Max is a horse!"

"He resents you for saying that."

"He resents me anyway!"

"Well now you've made it worse then, haven't you?"

He didn't reply to this, but instead walked over to me and Max.

I looked at Max. "Keeping your end of the deal would include you two not fighting when my back is turned," I reminded him.

He stuck out his bottom lip and glared at me, before sighing and nodding his head.

"Good. You get to keep Lady and Cobalt company anyway. But then again, I'm not sure you'll like Cobalt too much. Thief's horse, right?"

Max pondered my question.

"Then again, you do consider either yourself as my dad's horse or my dad as your human, so wouldn't that make you a thief's horse too? Or my dad a horse's thief?" I wasn't sure if I had confused Max, because I surely confused myself, but he seemed to understand the gist of what I was saying, because he went over to Lady and Cobalt without a fight.

Gale shook his head. "You talk to that horse like he's human."

"Well, he pretty much is. He expresses his feelings just like you and I do. It's like a human that can't talk, the way I see it. Same with Pascal."

"Who?"

I held out my hand and Pascal crawled into it. "Pascal. My mom's chameleon. He's been rather tired the last few days; he's getting old you see. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't been out to investigate you yet."

"Is he a protective chameleon?"

"Very." I smiled and brought my hand to my shoulder, which Pascal crawled onto clumsily. Then he opened his mouth big for a yawn, curled up, and went to sleep, snoring in his squeaky way.

"You seem really comfortable around these animals. Like they're your siblings."

"They pretty much are. Pascal and Max have been around since I was born, and Lady's been mine since I was eight. I can't imagine life without them."

"Do your friends like them as much as you do?"

"Friends?"

"You do have friends, don't you?"

"Two."

"You only have two friends?"

"Yeah well, people and I, we just don't get on very well."

"How come?"

"Well, people don't believe in much of me. It used to bother me, but I don't care much anymore."

"How can people not believing in you fail to make you care?"

"Because I don't believe in much of them either."

Gale was silent for a minute. "Who do you believe in?"

"My mom, my dad, my sister. My Grandma and Grandpa."

"Not your friends?"

"Not really. They aren't the sort of friends that you keep forever. They're just outcasts too I guess. That's why I hang around them."

"Oh. And you don't believe in anyone else?"

"Well, maybe slightly. I don't know yet. I might believe in this person a bit more in the future, but I don't exactly know them very well just yet."

"Who's that?"

"You."

Gale laughed. "Why do you believe in me? I'm a thief. I stole from you."

"My dad was a thief. He stole from my mom, you know. She didn't know he was when she met him, cause she was still "lost" then. But he did steal from her, and she still believed in him."

Gale was absolutely silent. He'd tell me later that he was overwhelmed by somebody believing in him, or the possibility that they might, but at this moment, I just thought he might be freaking out, that I compared us to my mom and dad.

I decided to give him some space, so I walked towards a stand that was selling some particularly interesting shirts.

When I was eight, my mother asked me what I believed in when she tucked me into bed.

I didn't say Santa Claus. I didn't say the Tooth fairy, or the Easter bunny.

I looked up in my mother's eyes, and said "I believe in mermaids, and fairies, and elves and sprites and pixies and Peter Pan and Captain Hook and Neverland."

She looked surprised when she asked me, "Why do you believe in all those things?"

"Because if magical hair that can heal people can exist, why can't mermaids?"

She looked at me, and grinned at me wider than she had before. "Sweetheart, that is an amazing point. There is no reason why any of those things can't exist. I'm never going to forget what you said."

She didn't. She ended up painting the words above the huge window in the library, so that people could look at them, and remember why they believe in things.

Some days, my mother will ask me, "Alice, do you still believe in mermaids and Peter Pan and Neverland?"

The first time she asked me that, I was ten, and I told her no, because I thought it would be childish to say yes, even though it was the truth.

"That's too bad," she sighed, looking at me, "because you can't see Tinkerbell if you don't believe in her. She was making bell noises all night long on your balcony last night. I could hardly sleep."

That night, I stayed up very late in order to catch a glimpse of Tink in the flesh. I waited on my balcony all night long, just to hear a bell. Eventually I fell asleep out there, but when I woke up, my arm was covered in glitter and a bit of my hair had been braided.

In the next couple of weeks, I would pester everybody to see who had done it. But everybody in the castle swore up and down that they had nothing to do with it.

I still to this day believe in everything I said I did back when I was eight.

And ever since that night when I was ten, I always say yes when my mother asks me if I still believe in mermaids and Peter Pan and Neverland.

I know now looking back on that, my mother showed me why we believe in things. The excitement that comes from faith, and the happiness and security, and knowing that you aren't by yourself makes it all worthwhile.

Until I met Gale, I didn't know that believing in people could be like that too.

Eugene was sitting in the library, looking up at the words Rapunzel painted above the window that Alice had once said. He remembered when Rapunzel painted it, taking great care to match Alice's handwriting perfectly.

If Magical Hair That Can Heal People Can Exist, Why Can't Mermaids?

Eugene had been reading and rereading those words for the past hour. He missed his daughter. Already twice today he had found himself halfway out the door, on his way to get her. But then he forced himself inside, unable to let himself end his little girl's adventure so soon. He knew she had to live her own life, whether he was ready to let her or not. _It's your fault,_ he reminded himself._ You're the one who always tells her to live her dreams, no matter what sort of adventure they take her on._ But even though he knew he was part of the reason Alice was the girl she was today, off on her own, he didn't regret raising her the way he did. He knew she grew up into a girl that could take care of herself, and he was proud of her.

He was very proud of the girl who called herself Alice Rider.

He smiled, because he knew that his daughter was a lot like him, since once upon a time, he had gone by Flynn Rider, because of the name he had. Because of the last name he passed down to his daughters. A name which, paired with Eugene, was a deadly and embarrassing combination.

Fitzherbert.

We set up camp for the night a couple miles north of Bridgeport. The area was a small circle of trees with an opening in the canopies at the center, which was where we built the fire. I walked over to Lady and took off her saddle, taking out the blanket and laying it over her back. Then I put my hands to either side of her face and kissed her nose. "Goodnight Lady Girl." Then I walked over to Max and took off his saddle as well. I draped his blanket over his back, and then took out the extra blanket and the length of rope that was always in his saddlebags. I set them over by a particularly limb-y tree, and walked back over to Max, kissing him on the nose and wishing him goodnight as well.

Then I walked over to blanket. I spread it out so it was flat against the ground, and checked to make sure the holes that I cut out last time I rode Max were still in each corner. Then I lifted the rope, folding it into four equal sections and taking out my knife, cutting it at each fold. I strung each bit of rope through the corners, and tied them to the one on the same width-wise side as the other. Then I tied them around two branches, and checked to make sure all the knots were secure before hopping into my makeshift hammock.

Gale looked over at me. "Nice handiwork," he told me, before turning back to the fire.

"I try," I replied, before leaning back and closing my eyes for a good night's sleep.

Lily was restless. This was the first night her sister hadn't snuck into her room at night to tell her to meet her at the willow tree on the shore of all the dreams. Lily didn't know why her sister always came in to tell her that, but the words were still comforting.

Tonight she wouldn't be told.

So instead, she took out the letter that Alice had left her, and reread it again.

Tiger-Lily,

Watch out for Mom and Dad for me. I don't know how much they'll miss me, but don't let them cry. I'll be ok.

I'm going to find my dreams, just like I always told you I would. Someday you'll probably go to find yours; although I'm sure your dreams will be a lot different than mine.

You belong in the palace Tiger-Lily. I don't. You know that. We talk about it all the time.

Now that I'm gone, I think they'll finally stop looking over you. Maybe now they'll listen to us. Maybe now they'll understand.

Princess Lily-Ann Rapunzel Fitzherbert of Corona. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

They started training me for this stuff when I was twelve. I know you're a year late, but I was never as natural about this stuff as you. You'll get it soon enough. You're a natural born leader. I'm not, but I'm not a follower either. I think I'm an adventurer. An explorer. I like it that way.

I know it might be harder to sleep every night now. That's why I'm writing this, so you can read it every night.

I'll meet you at the willow tree on the shore of all the dreams.

Love,

Alice.

Lily sighed, knowing she would be able to sleep now. But before she closed her eyes, she ran out onto the balcony, where she looked out at the room about thirty feet directly across from hers. Alice's room. She saw movement under Alice's room, where her parent's room was. Her mother was waving at her. Lily smiled and waved back, before she backed into her room again. She thought about all the times Alice had thrown a tin can attached to a string across the distance, and they would talk on their cup phones. Lily knew she had the best big sister in the world.

She sank into her bed, and closed her eyes, sinking deep into sleep.

She dreamt about her and Alice under a willow tree, at the shore of all the dreams.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Hey everybody! another chapter up, hope you enjoy it._**

**_This one is like the last chapter, tree points of views, but this time, the third isn't Lily. I'll let you think about that one :). So we're aware, because i dont think i've dont this in a while, Tangled does not belong to me, however Alice, Gale, and Lily kinda sorta do. _**

**_Always remember to review!_**

When I woke up, I noticed that Gale and Max were gone. "Great. Now it's just us three," I told Pascal, who was on top of Lady's head.

Lady turned towards Cobalt, who was looking at me like I had missed something painfully obvious.

"Oh right! Hi Cobalt. If you're still here, that must mean Gale still is, right?"

Cobalt nodded.

"Ok." I sighed and got up, taking down the hammock and folding it back up, shoving it in Max's saddlebags that were still on the ground.

Just then, I heard crashing in the bushes. I looked around to see Gale, with a boot missing, followed by Max, with a boot in his mouth, looking quite smug.

"I just went to get a drink of water," Gale turned to glare at Max, "when this _demon_ horse followed me, tackled me, then stole my boot!"

"He has a thing with boots. I don't know what it is." I walked up and grabbed the boot, but Max didn't let go of his end. "Max. Drop. The. Boot. Please." He narrowed his eyes at me, before releasing his end. I chucked the boot over my shoulder, and heard it thunk something. I just barely heard someone say ouch, but I ignored it. "You're a good thief catcher Max," I told him, digging around in the bag at my hip and handing him an apple. He ate it greedily, before pressing his lips against my forehead and trotting away.

"Ew, Max!" I wiped his slobber from my head. "That's gross."

He snickered at me from beside the other two horses.

"Now do you agree that he's a demon horse?" Gale asked me.

"He always does that."

"Fine, keep sticking up for the devil."

"Oh, so one minute he's a demon, and now he's the devil himself?"

"Maybe he's both!"

"Absolutely ridiculous. He's just doing his job!"

"Maybe he should be a little less thorough about his job!"

"That's like asking Max not to be Max!"

"Maybe that's what I'm asking!"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

We glared at each other for a minute, before I sighed and looked away. "Well, there's a town to the north and a town to the west. I'm going north. I don't care what you do." I walked over and saddled Lady, before saddling Max as well. Then I strapped my bag around his neck, so he could reach it easily. "There are a bunch of apples in there," I whispered to him, "In case we split up and you have to go arrest Gale. Also, there's a letter in your saddlebag for Mom and Dad. Make sure they get it, ok?"

Max looked at me solemnly, and nodded.

I walked over and mounted Lady, taking her reins. I looked over to see Gale mount Cobalt and bring him up next to Lady. I looked at him questioningly.

"It seems that you're going to find an adventure for yourself. I don't want to miss out on it, and I don't want you to have to face it alone."

I nodded, and coaxed Lady forward, to continue down the trail.

"You know, I've told you plenty about myself by now, but you haven't told me a single thing about you."

Gale looked at me. "I'm not very interesting."

"I don't know, a thief on an adventure with a princess. Seems decently interesting to me."

"Ok, what do you want to know?"

"Where did you grow up?"

"The palace."

I turned around to stare at him.

He laughed. "I wasn't a prince or anything, but my mom was the chef, and she lived in the workers cabins. I helped with the dishes sometimes."

"Then how come I never saw you?"

"Most of time when I was around you, you had your nose in a book."

"Let me guess. _The Adventures of Flynnigan Rider?"_

"That's the one."

"When I was younger I hardly ever put it down."

"You did once, actually. I remember, you left it behind when you left the dining room once, and my mother told me to put it in your chair in the library."

"That's surprising. It was practically an extension of my right arm."

He nodded. "You do know you're not supposed to write in books, right?"

I laughed. "And you're also not supposed to run away from the place you're sentenced to control for the rest of your life. I don't ever exactly do what I'm told."

"I know. You could hear you being yelled at by your etiquette instructor from the kitchens."

"She hated me with a passion."

"The kitchen staff loved you, if that helps."

I grinned. "When I was six I read a story about somebody poisoning a princess's dinner and killing her. For a year I was always extra nice to anyone who handled my food."

"You were friends with them way longer than a year."

"Well, after I stopped being afraid, I had gotten to know all of them, and I realized I quite liked all of them."

"I remember, when I'd come in in the mornings, you would have left everybody a pie or something just for them."

"It would be miserable to handle food all day and not eat it."

"It is."

I was silent for a minute, before I turned to him and said, "So, when did you become a thief?"

"Last year, I started stealing things."

"Ok… but why?"

"My grandma was about to lose her house. I had to find some way to get the money to keep it. After that though… I just couldn't stop."

I nodded.

He looked at me for a minute, before saying, "I remember one time a year ago, before I started stealing things, you came into the kitchen during a ball, wearing a dress and your hair down."

"Yeah, I remember that too. I came in to see if there was anything better than spinach salad."

I waited for Gale to continue with the memory, but he didn't. Instead he turned his head forward and kept going straight down the road.

Gale had loved Alice since he had first seen her.

He'd always thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He loved everything about her. He loved everything that made her different.

He knew who she was when he saw her in the woods and fought against her. He didn't need her to say her name, but something inside him had made him ask. Just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

He was watching her now, on her horse, Lady, straying way ahead of him, Cobalt, and the demon horse, Max. She was reaching out and picking a flower from the limbs of an apple tree, and braiding it in Lady's mane. She already had strung five in the horse's hair, but Gale knew she wouldn't be content until it looked just as covered in flowers as the apple tree itself.

The demon horse was prancing here and there, picking up old apples and chewing them happily. Gale decided he might like the horse, if it stopped trying to kill him.

He looked back at Alice, who was gazing at him. She smiled and held up a flower. "Want one in your hair?"

Gale laughed. "No thanks. I'm good."

She giggled and stuck it behind her own ear instead, and turned back around to face the path again.

Gale wished he was brave enough to tell her how beautiful she was.

He wished he was brave enough to tell her a lot of things.

Mom and Dad,

We just got to the town where the orphanage is, but unfortunately everybody's gone for about an hour. Outing of some sort, so the sign said. So until everybody gets back, we're sitting in a tavern, eating the best spaghetti known to man.

I'm serious, this stuff is amazing.

Gale used to work in the kitchens, as it turns out. His mom's the chef, can you believe it? I guess he remembers me, but I have no recollection of him. I wonder why that is?

Anyway, Max is here with us, I don't know if I told you in my last letter. He's taking care of me just fine, so you don't need to worry. I'll be alright.

I keep thinking about that thing, Grandma told me a few weeks ago.

"If you can dream it, you can achieve it, no matter what it is or where it takes you."

I like that. It's rather inspirational.

Oh God. I keep telling you guys not to worry about me, and here I am worrying about everybody else! I'm such a hypocrite.

But I am worrying, so mom, since you look like me and have my voice and everything; could you tell Lily to meet me at the willow tree on the shore of all the dreams? Just once, when she's crying or something. Just to cheer her up. Don't make it a habit or anything.

Dad, can you tell the guards not to go looking for somebody on the run that goes by the name Gale? Because if they see me, I know they'll just take me back to the palace. I don't want to have to run away again and hurt everybody twice.

I love you two, and I'll be sending another letter soon.

Love,

Alice

The letter Alice wrote was in the middle of the dining room table, with Rapunzel and Eugene dissecting it.

"Her thief used to work here?" Eugene asked, confused.

"I don't understand the thing she wants me to tell Lily," Rapunzel deliberated.

"Our little girl is changing out there, isn't she?" Eugene asked, turning to Rapunzel.

"You know what it is? Just don't freak out."

Eugene eyed her suspiciously. "What?"

"She's falling in love with this boy."

Eugene stared at her, before opening his mouth wide to scream.

"Don't freak out!" Rapunzel reminded him quickly.

He froze, then closed his mouth but still stared at her wide eyed.

"It happened to me once. I suppose you remember?"

Despite himself, Eugene smiled. "I remember."

"If I recall it correctly, I fell for a dashing thief as well."

"I'd call him an incredibly handsome thief, but dashing works too."

Rapunzel smiled. "I wonder if her thief is going by a fake name or stealing her crown."

"I didn't know it was your crown at the time!"

"True."

They sat in silence for a moment, before Eugene remembered what they were talking about before they got on the topic of himself.

"Our daughter is falling in love with a thief?"

Rapunzel sighed. "You freaked out."

"She's falling for a thief? A thief Rapunzel!"

"You were a thief."

"Not every thief will leave a girl alone! He might kill her or hurt her!"

"Obviously he won't, because he would've already tried, and he would already be dead. Alice isn't going to let somebody do something to her without reacting violently. We raised her to protect herself. She'll be ok."

Eugene sighed. "I hope so."

Rapunzel wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed the side of her face against his shoulder. "You worry about her."

"All the time."

Rapunzel sighed. "Me too. Every night I wish she was still here, and I could still go out on the balcony and still hear her snoring."

"Or still walk into a random room and hear her say hi to you from up in the rafters."

"Or watch her dance around in the empty ballroom while Mother plays piano."

"Or watch her Grandma teach her to play piano."

"Or see her walk towards the kitchen with a pie in her hands for the staff."

"Or see her sneak into her sister's room every night to tell her things."

Rapunzel buried her face in Eugene's shoulder. "Why couldn't we have heard her go by the window? Why couldn't we have stopped her?"

"Because even if we would've heard her, Alice isn't the sort of person who can be stopped."

"Eugene, what if we never see her again?" Rapunzel looked up into Eugene's eyes with tears in hers, and Eugene's heart broke on the spot. He hated to see her cry.

"We'll see her again. Wanna know how I know?"

"How?"

"Because every day, when she comes back from sneaking out, it's always early in the morning, and I always open the door just a crack, and she always says 'back to my forever-home.' Do you know what that's from?"

"No," Rapunzel sniffed.

"Every time Flynnigan Rider goes back to his castle, he always calls it his forever-home, because no matter what happens, that's always the place he goes back to, and it's the only place he calls home."

Rapunzel looked up at him with her innocent big green eyes. "Really?"

He kissed her on the forehead. "Really."


	7. Chapter 6

_**Another chapter :)**_

_**i really hope you guys like this one. I tried to take the story back to where Eugene grew up because the movie didnt really display his backstory as much as it did Rapunzel's. **_

_**Also, a bit of a spoiler, i'm finally bringing in the romance between Gale and Alice, so i hope it works. **_

_**As always, review, because i love love love to hear what you have to say!**_

_**~Lexi**_

When the orphanage finally opened, and I walked in for the first time, my first thought was, _Dad grew up here?_

Then I realized I felt a strong sense of home in the small little building.

It wasn't in the crowded beds that were placed one right after the other, so close there was barely even an inch of space in between them.

It wasn't in the enormous table that was crowded with chairs and stools.

It wasn't even in the stuffed animals and the dolls and toy boats and toy swords and shields.

It was in the old woman that was walking forward to greet me, who looked surprisingly young despite the wrinkles and the curly silver hair that hung down in wisps from her bun that was perched loosely on the back of her neck.

"Hello," she welcomed me, smiling. "How can I help you?"

"Well, I suppose you know my father, Eugene Fitzherbert?"

She broke into a beautiful smile. I supposed she must have been a gorgeous woman, once. "I haven't heard that name in years. You look like him."

"Really? Everybody says I look more like my mother."

"You do look like your father though. You have his eyes, and you look like an adventurer!" she took my hand and led me over to a table, sitting me down on a chair at the end while she took the chair at the head of the table.

Gale entered the doorway, looking unsure what to do. The woman turned to him, and said, "If you'd like, you can go outside and play with the children." She smiled warmly, before turning back to me.

I looked at Gale and smiled, before turning back to her.

"I'm Alice," she told me.

I laughed. "I guess I know where that part comes from, then. I'm Alice Rider Fitzherbert."

She looked almost as if she were going to cry. "Eugene named you after me?"

"I guess he did."

She dabbed at her eyes with the end of her dress sleeve, before sighing and smiling at me. "So, who did you're father end up marrying?"

I smiled. "He married the first girl he ever fell in love with. Her name is Rapunzel." I lowered my voice to a whisper, "But you might know her better as the Lost Princess." I winked.

Her face lifted quite noticeably. "He married the princess? I'm in the presence of a princess?"

"Princess Alice Rider Fitzherbert of Corona at your service ma'am."

"You talk just like Eugene used to. So proud."

"I try to keep the full of myself-ness to a minimum though."

She patted my hand. "Good."

"When did my father leave here?"

"Oh, he was about sixteen. Young and full of life. Handsome, too. I knew his good looks paired with his attitude could make for a deadly combination. But I let that boy leave, with just the clothes that he wore and a bag on his hip. I tried to pretend that I didn't know what sort of things were going to be in that bag, but from the things that would turn up under his bed, coins and toys and just random things that weren't his, I could wish all I wanted, but the life he was headed for was set."

"People change."

"They do indeed. Now. What's your mother like?"

"She really does look exactly like me, only her hair's shorter. And it's all brown. Her eyes are big and green. She's agile, but clumsy. She's an artist, a musician, a singer, a reader, a dreamer. She adores my Dad."

"Good. She sounds like a wonderful girl. I remember, when Eugene was… oh… about eight. He snuck outside and sat under the tree, just to see the faint little lights that lifted into the sky on the Lost Princess's birthday. When I walked outside and sat next to him, he told me that someday he'd rescue that princess."

"He did."

"Did he? That's marvelous! I'm so glad."

"She was an even match for him. His 'smolder' didn't even faze her."

"Is that right? Oh, that look used to give him his way so much when he was younger. He even tried using it on me once, but I just wacked him in the head with a wooden spoon, I did."

I smiled. "I think I'm going to like you."

"Oh, I already like you dear. I can just tell."

"From what?"

"Well, you must be quite a ways away from home, aren't you? And I assume that hair around your wrist isn't just a souvenir. You my dear are on a quest of sorts. A quest for a dream. Those sorts of quests are the very best kinds. People come back from quests of that caliber differently. When I was younger, I loved an adventure. And now that I'm older, I just love adventurers. I haven't seen one that holds the air of one so thickly since your father lived here. But you are just as much of an adventurer as he was."

"Thanks."

"Will you promise me something, Alice?'

"Sure, Alice."

"No matter where you go, remember your parents back home. I know, that even though they would never even think of ruining your dream, they miss you, and worry about you, and love you like nothing else. Nothing can match the love a parent has for a child. Nothing. I know, because I let your father go once. Just don't let yourself think for a minute, they will be anything but proud of you when you go back. It takes someone impeccably strong to leave home, and to follow their dreams, and to fall in love."

At that moment, I felt a strong wave of homesickness wash over me. I wanted to see my parent's faces again.

"I have something for you," Alice said, getting up and walking over to a bookcase, where she searched the titles with her pointer finger until she found the one she was looking for. She brought it back and handed it to me.

I ran my fingers over the indented lettering of the title on the cover. _The Adventures of Flynnigan Rider_. The book that was both mine and my dad's favorite. I flipped the cover, and looked at the hand writing.

If found, please return to Eugene Fitzherbert

I turned the page, to find an old 'Wanted' poster, with the name Flynn Rider in bold lettering. I looked at the drawing of my dad's face, and laughed at the completely ridiculous nose. I examined the poster closely, before kissing the wanted lettering, then folding it and putting it in the pocket in the back of my trousers. I continued to flip through the pages, looking at the little things my dad wrote. I was realizing now just how much I was like him. I had so many of his traits, it was insane. I snapped the book shut and hugged it to my chest, missing my father.

"It seems your boy has become quite popular among the children," Alice said from where she stood at a window. I walked over to the glass, and looked out at Gale, who had just glanced up at me. Several kids were hanging onto his arms, and one was on his back, looking like she felt as though she were on top of the world. Gale knelt down, and all of them let go of him. He pointed towards me at the window, and told them something. All the girls giggled while they boys just frowned. I wondered what Gale had said, but decided I didn't need to know.

I touched Alice on the shoulder then walked outside. Three girls pounced on me instantly. "Can we play with your hair?" The oldest asked.

I realized it was still down, and wondered if they planned to cut it. That would be bad, but realizing they were nowhere near anything sharp, I nodded. They sat me down and started twisting my hair this way and that, pinning it here and putting a flower in there. Soon they finished and handed me an old broken mirror.

I looked at my reflection. Little bits and pieces of my hair were braided, and pulled out of my face and to the back of my head, so there were three separate braids started evenly spaced down the top half of my face and going back to all join together. Little daisies laced the braids, popping up here and there. I loved what it looked like.

I smiled and hugged the girls, then picked my book back up and walked over to Gale.

He looked up at me. "You look nice," he told me.

"Thanks."

"Ready to go?"

"Yep."

We were surrounded by wails of "No!" as we left, so I promised the kids that I'd visit them again someday. I walked out the gate and let Gale latch it shut, while I walked over to Max. I lifted the now-empty satchel from around his neck, and put Dad's book in it. Then I took the poster out of my back pocket and spread it out for Max to see. "Remember him Max?"

He snickered and touched his nose to the paper.

"I miss him."

Max nuzzled the side of my face sympathetically.

"Thanks Max." I folded the poster back up and put it back in my pocket.

I mounted Lady and sighed, reaching in my bag to touch the spine of my father's book, before taking her reins and looking to Gale. "Should we go?"

He nodded and pushed his foot slightly into Cobalt's hip, causing him to start to trot forward, and out of town.

We were silent for quite a while, well into the woods before either of us started to speak.

"So, we never talked in the palace?" I asked.

"Well, you always said hi to me whenever you walked by."

"I should've stopped to talk to you. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. You were always busy anyway. You always had someone high and mighty yelling at you."

"Nobody noble liked me much."

"I don't think they liked you at all really."

I smiled at his brutal honesty. He was the first person ever to tell me like it was. Exactly the way it really was. "No, they didn't. I wasn't ever enough for them."

"What would have been enough?"

"If I was to wear dresses every second of every day and to have my crown on constantly and have perfect manners and be a lady and wear shoes. I'd have to stop reading all the time, stop sneaking out, stop dreaming of adventures. They'd have me give up every aspiration I have ever had, every hobby, everything that has ever made me, me. All for the kingdom. Don't get me wrong, I love the kingdom and everyone in it. They're all different, and more than one of them listen to me and help me out when I need it. They don't treat me any different from anyone else. They still make me pay for things; still make me wait in line. They treat me just like everyone at home refuses to."

Gale nodded and looked at the path ahead of us. "I like you better the way you are," he told me, glancing down to my eyes.

I wanted to smile at him, but instead I sighed, and turned away to hide the tears that were threatening to make an appearance. "Sometimes it seems like you're the only one."

"Anyone who doesn't feel the same is a fool."

I stared ahead, focusing on keeping my eyes clear. "I can name quite a few."

"And I'd be willing to bet that not a single one of them matter."

I looked at him. "Then I wouldn't matter to them either, wouldn't I?"

"Do you want to matter to a person who doesn't matter to you?"

"I guess it all depends on what sort of person they are."

"Well, I know we've only been traveling together for a couple days, but you don't strike me as the type who would think somebody nice doesn't matter. I'd think, if they matter to you, they've treated you like a person who wants to matter to you."

I considered that. "Well, I don't really care about anybody mean, but I don't just dislike a person if they're nice. Is that what you mean?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose you're right. I guess the only people who matter are the ones worth mattering to me."

"Do I matter to you?"

I hadn't expected that question at all. Gale didn't really seem like the type that would ask deep, meaningful questions, but every day he surprised me with one. I thought about Gale, with his black hair and mossy green eyes. With his way of understanding me, and the way he listened. I thought about the sarcastic smirk that appeared whenever I said something particularly ditzy or tripped over thin air. The way he'd looked at me when we had danced.

"You matter to me very much. More than much of anybody else does."

Gale looked like he had just won a very important battle. There was a hint of accomplishment, and overall thrilling joy to his smile when he looked back at me and said, "Well, you matter to me too. And I guess if I'm the sort of person that deserves to matter to you, then you have one more person that wouldn't ever change you for anything."

I beamed up at him, and turned back to the trail.

"Not that your bare feet aren't disgusting though," he teased.

I let out a gasp of laughter, and he just sat on Cobalt and chuckled. Seizing the moment, I reached out and playfully pushed his shoulder. Without meaning to, I accidentally jarred him off balance, and he slipped off of Cobalt and landed with a hard thud on the ground.

Max laughed uncontrollably while I swung my right leg up and over Lady's neck, so I was facing Cobalt with both legs on one side. "Are you ok?" I asked, preparing to get down coming to his aid. He stood up and walked around Cobalt, coming to stand right in front of me and giving me a hard look. Then he smirked and slung me over his shoulder. Helpless, I smacked his back with my fists and kicked at his stomach. "Put me down!"

"You're in for it now. I'll teach you."

I giggled powerlessly, whacking his back once more. "Put me down!"

I heard the rushing water of a stream nearby, and started thrashing harder.

Gale stopped while he kicked off his boots, then he pulled me off of his shoulder, so he was holding me in his arms like a groom would hold a bride before they took a step over a threshold. I glared up at him while he stepped into the water. Suddenly he let go of my feet, and they fell and splashed into the cold water while he held me up with his other arm. I looked up at him (he was about five inches taller than me, probably around six foot one) and stared as he took his hand and brushed my hair over my shoulder.

His eyes met mine, and he leaned down to kiss me.

Yes, my first one. Yes, I know I'm sixteen. I wasn't exactly the most popular person in the entire world, so boyfriends of any sort weren't really common.

Anyway, Gale. Kissing me. Yes.

His lips brushed against mine softly at first, before he pressed them against mine just a bit. My heart fluttered in my stomach, my insides dropped, and butterflies zoomed through my belly. I couldn't tell whether my eyes were closed or open, I couldn't remember who had initiated the kiss exactly. All I knew was that Gale and I were kissing… and when we broke apart, he was looking at me just perfectly. And when he smiled at me, that was perfect too. And even when I asked him how I paid for my injustice exactly, and he dunked me under the water in a particularly deep spot of the creek, hell that was perfect also. The day continued to be perfect as we had a water fight in the creek, and as we sat by the fire, with the horses and Pascal (who was bright red) watching us, and as we looked up and watched the stars, and then as I fell asleep leaning on his shoulder, finally releasing the perfect day.

Rapunzel hesitantly opened the letter. She didn't understand why this one was addressed only to her and not Eugene as well. She didn't want to think of all the reasons why it could be, ranging anywhere from appalling to terrifying.

She unfolded the letter and stared at the words Alice wrote.

Dear Mom,

Tell Dad I'm sorry for not addressing this to him as well. I don't think he'd quite understand the reasoning for this letter, so I decided not to worry him too much.

I'm writing this about Gale.

I can't wait for you to meet him. I know you'll like him; he's so much like Dad. He makes me miss him a little bit more, but that's alright. Gale's still wonderful all by himself.

I can't understand this feeling that's erupting inside me, this undying need to be everything for him, to be there for him, to look at him, to hug him, to kiss him… I just need to do everything. I've never felt this way before. It almost scares me.

A good kind of scared.

We talk about all sorts of things. It used to be so that I could barely fathom talking to somebody on a deeper level. It's strange that now, I'm living it.

Yesterday, we talked about people mattering. I told him how sometimes, I feel like he's the only one that likes me better for who I really am than who I could be.

Gale says that he doesn't think any of the other people really matter. He told me that I matter to him, and that if he is the kind of person that deserves to matter to me, then I have one more person in the world that wouldn't change me for anything.

I think that might just help me sleep at night.

Sometimes I wish I would've noticed Gale before, when we were just kids, him helping in the kitchen and me trying my best to be a good princess. If I would've noticed him, maybe he wouldn't have ever became a thief, or needed to.

His Grandma needed the money. She was losing her home.

He tells me stealing is an addicting thing. That once you touch something that isn't yours, and hold it, and keep it, something happens, and you change a bit. You start taking things more often, higher priced things, things that can get you more money. I guess I'd have to ask Dad to be sure, but I think it's pretty believable.

I think I might be boring you with this and I'm sorry. But I just can't stop thinking about everything he says or does.

I suppose I sound rather childish. Oh well.

I love you mom. Don't miss me too much; I'll be home before you know it.

Love,

Alice

Rapunzel folded up the letter and held it to her heart. She sighed before turning around and walked over to a particularly dusty shelf in the library, and pulled out her old journal. She tucked the letter inside, and flipped to the page she wrote when she was first swept away by Eugene. She read every single word twice, before stroking the cover and returned it back to the shelf. She decided she would go see if Eugene was up for a row out in the bay. Then maybe a picnic, during which they could talk about all the things they did once, when they were only a couple years older than their little girl, who was out by herself in the world, taking a similar path that Rapunzel once took.


	8. Chapter 7

**_Good God, i suck. I know I suck. I suck so bad. Sorry! I know i should've updated sooner, but i got caught up in a book series..._**

**_Anyway, here's the next chapter... consider it an apology._**

**_As always, remember to review! :)_**

I was laying down in my makeshift hammock, one leg hanging out and a hand behind my head. Gale was out for a walk of some sort, and Max was uneasily lying down by the hammock. I suspected he was torn between going after Gale, and protecting me, but Cobalt was here and so were all the things Gale had stolen. Lady was grazing a couple feet from camp, with Cobalt watching her.

I sighed and looked at Max. "I bet Mom thinks I'm following her path, having her life. What do you think?"

He pointedly looked at the jewels, and then at me.

"I don't know, I see it, but there are differences. Gale isn't like Dad _too_ much. He's lacking the full of himself, try to dazzle you with a smile, arrogant and vain, egotistic and materialistic-ness that Dad had."

Max nodded, but again looked pointedly at the jewels.

"Yeah, I know, I know he's a thief. I know he probably has thousands of dollars' worth of jewels in there. I know that hairbrush is probably Grandma's."

Max shook his head and grabbed the bag with his teeth, swinging it over to the hammock and dropping it in my lap.

I looked at him suspiciously, before opening the flap and removing an item.

It was my grandma's hairbrush, with the colorful swirls that my mother had painted, and the diamonds imbedded into the handle.

I looked at Max and held it up questioningly.

He shook his head and nudged the bag with his nose.

I pulled out another item, and examined it. It was my sister's old doll, the one she tossed in a corner and forgot a few months ago. It had a silk dress on and its hair was perfectly braided, with a hand-painted china face, hands and feet. I gently set her on my stomach, and pulled out the last item in the bag.

With the tips of my fingers, I held up my tiara.

My tiara had been specifically built for me, with sapphires encrusted into the entire band, tiny and formed into a wavy line. The front glittered with diamonds and sapphires, shaped into leaves and vines. The entire tiara was plated with silver.

I lifted it to my head with tears in my eyes. My crown jewels made me miss home so much. What was worse, I knew Gale had lied to me. When we still didn't know each other that well, sure, but still. He lied. He lied about having my tiara. My crowning jewels. The part of me that was supposed to be an extension of my head. I couldn't believe it had followed me on my adventure. I had almost brought it with me myself, but had left it behind because I didn't want it stolen. So much for that.

I left it on my head, and sat back, putting the doll and the hairbrush back in the bag and letting Max return it to where it was. I sighed. "I'll have to go back soon. I can't just stay and adventure forever. At some point I guess I'll probably have to go back and face what I am. A princess. Whether I like it or not."

Gale broke out of the forest. "Why would you do that?"

"Because it's my responsibility. The duty I was born with."

"That's stupid."

"It's how I was born. I'll have to go back."

"I can't come."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a thief. I stole things from your family."

"Including my crown?"

"I… I didn't know it was yours."

"Don't play that crap. I only wear it every time I go out in public, to every ball to every social event. I have to wear it out in the kingdom, and I event wear it sometimes in the castle. Don't try to convince _me_, that you didn't know it is _my_ tiara."

"You looked through my things."

"You mean _my _things. The things you stole from _my_ family."

"You knew I stole them from you. You didn't care before."

"I didn't know you stole my tiara before!"

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with being royalty!"

"The tiara's different. It was made just for me. It was made specifically with me in mind. It was the one thing that wasn't a hand me down. I got to choose it, not be given it."

"That _thing_ makes you look like a stuck-up princess."

"Well maybe I want to look like a stuck-up princess!"

"Good, cause you do!"

"Well at least I'm not a stupid petty thief that can't get a life and earn money for himself!"

He looked at me, pained, and walked away, going to sit on a large root that was jutting out of a tree.

There's a thing about falling in love. You have to fight at some point; it's the natural thing about being so close to somebody and spending so much time with them. There always comes a time when you say just the right words to make them hurt. To see the pain on their face. There's always the point when you want the words to kill them, to sting them to the very core, but you also wish you never would have said anything. So when you're at that point, what are you supposed to do?

I chose to go sit next to Gale, and lean on him. It was the best apology I could muster.

And when he wrapped his arm around my waist, and kissed me on the forehead just below my tiara, I knew he understood.

Eugene paced around Alice's room. He had to go and get her. He had to bring her back.

At the same time, he couldn't.

He knew this was part of her life; it was a thing she had to do. He knew, from the day she could walk, that one day she would leave. He saw too much of himself in Alice.

He sighed and sat on her bed, resting his head in his hands. He wondered if Alice was ok out there. If the world was making her softer, or toughening her up. If she cried more now, or less (which would be pretty hard since she never cried in the first place).

He thought about this Gale person.

He knew what the things Gale had stolen were by now. Rapunzel's mother's hairbrush was missing, as was Alice's crown. He figured Alice probably knew it was with her by now.

He tried to not dwell too much on the evil that was out in the world. _Max is with her,_ he reminded himself. _He'll die before he lets anything happen to her._

He wished his daughter was back, more than anything else. He wished he didn't have to hear Rapunzel cry late at night, when she thought he was asleep. He wished he didn't have to see Lily so distressed every day. He wished he didn't have to feel the hollow emptiness somewhere in his chest. Alice had left a hole when she disappeared.

He looked up at the book that was sitting beside her bed. _The Pirates of the Caspian Sea_, the cover read. He thumbed through it, before it landed on a page with a map on it. All the destinations Alice planned on going, he realized. In the last letter he had read, Alice had said she was about to see the orphanage. He put his finger on his old hometown. Then he traced a line up to the next town. He figured she must be there, by now. He didn't understand how the letters were getting to the palace so quickly, unless she was using some sort of bird to carry them. Then perhaps it was possible.

He folded up the map, and walked out of the room, taking the discovery to Rapunzel.

I didn't want to go to the next town.

The homesickness was unbearable.

"I have to go home," I told Gale.

"What? Why?"

"Because I miss it like crazy."

"Well, I'll take you back to where we met, but I can't take you any further."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll be hanged if I go anywhere near the kingdom."

"They'll forgive you if I ask them to."

"I can't risk it."

"But—"

"I really can't. I'll give you your things back, and let you go, but I can't come."

"You can keep the doll. Lily won't want it anymore."

He nodded, and we saddled up the horses, going back the way we came, on the road back home.

Five more days, Rapunzel and Eugene suffered. Five more days, Alice was gone.


	9. Chapter 8

**_we're so close to the end you guys! honestly, i'll be a little sad. anyhow, hope you enjoy! as always, review? eh? :)_**

I walked up to the palace, wishing somebody was there with me. Wishing Gale was.

I walked through the giant double doors, with guards greeting me left and right. I walked into the library, and climbed up one of the tallest stacks, pulling myself onto the lowest rafter and standing up carefully, pulling myself up to the highest point. I then sat on the large, flat space that was up there, and pulled out my dad's book, opening it and starting to read.

Just then, my mother and father walked in, carrying my copy of the book.

"Hi," I called down to them.

Shocked, they looked up to where I sat.

"Alice!" they both cried in unison. Relief and happiness spread across their faces.

I beamed and slid down the rafter, hopping down in front of them.

My mother had tears in her eyes, and she reached out and hugged me tightly. My father pulled us both into his arms. I felt a sense of peace that hadn't been there since I left.

They let me go, and I smiled at them. Then I handed my father his book.

Speechless, he stared down at it, holding it like it was very fragile.

I looked at my mom and held out my wrist, showing her the bit of her hair that I had tied there.

She touched it lightly, before looking back at me and smiling. "Lovely dear, I wish you knew, just how much I love you."

Tears started to appear when my mother said that. She always said that when she tucked me in to bed. It never failed to make me feel better. I pulled her into another hug and sobbed. "Mama, I missed you."

She stroked my hair. "I missed you too sweetheart."

Then I pulled back and looked at my dad. He looked down at me. "Alice, I'm so proud of you."

I hugged him too, burying my face into his chest. "I met Alice," I whispered. "She cried when she found out my name."

"She was like my mother," he replied.

I nodded, pulled back.

"Where's Gale?" my mother asked.

"He didn't come into the kingdom."

"Why not?"

"He thinks he'll be hanged."

"We wouldn't hang him!"

"He wouldn't listen to me when I told him that."

My mother nodded and took my hand, no doubt leading me up to my room, where I would tell her of my adventures, and cry if I needed to.

As she led me up the stairs to my room, my mother told me what was happening. "I wish I didn't have to make you do this, but all of the nobles want to have a conference with you. They want to know why you ran away. So, put on a dress, keep your tiara on, and we'll have to go downstairs to talk to them."

"But I don't want—"

"I know you don't and I don't want you to but they won't take no for an answer."

I nodded and walked to my closet, pulling out a simple black and white dress and taking it behind my screen, where I pulled it on, and tied it up in the front. It was long sleeved and fell to the floor, so I didn't bother to put shoes on. I leaned down and dug through the back pocket of my trousers, pulling out the wanted poster and walking out with it, throwing it on my bedside table. "I'm ready."

My mother turned around and laughed lightly. "I like your dress. It's best to be a rebel, when that's what you are inside." Then she took my hand again and led me down to the theatre room, where she sent me up on the stage.

I looked down to at least two hundred nobles that filled every row of bench seats. I sighed, and decided to start. "Ah… welcome, I guess."

The room rumbled with whispers of disgust at my opening statement.

I shuffled my feet nervously and looked around the room for a single familiar face. "Well, I guess you want to know why I left. Um, you see…" I trailed off when I saw Gale, standing by the window, illuminated by the sun.

"I ran away because… I mean, the reason I'm here is because…" I stopped and gathered my thoughts, looking back down to everybody. "I disinherit myself from the throne."

The room screamed in uproar, and several people stood up to protest. I looked to Gale, who was smiling encouragingly.

"SILENCE!" I screamed, and the room quieted and looked back to me. "Will you stupid people not even listen to my reasoning?"

A rather pinched-faced noble stood up. "What is your reasoning, Princess?" he sneered.

"My reasoning is that I hate every single one of you."

They all shrieked angrily at me, shaking their fists and whatnot.

"I hate every single one of you, because you all hate me!"

They shut up.

"I don't belong here. I never have. I was born to be an adventurer, to be free. To see the world, and read, and watch plays, and draw and write. I wasn't born to lead a country. I can't take care of the kingdom. I can't solve problems for everybody else. I can't think under pressure. The person you want for all of these things, is Lily. It has always been Lily, and it will always be Lily. She deserves the throne, she deserves the crown, and she deserves to lead. I love the kingdom, but the life of a royal just isn't the life for me. I let everybody down constantly, I irritate you, and I make you mad. I'm not right for this. You know it, and I know it. I'm not right for this. I can still be a princess, and I will still take the throne, should anything happen to Lily. But I revoke my place in line. Thank you."

As I stepped down off of the stage, people screamed questions in my ears. Protest bounced off the walls of the room that were specifically designed to make every sound louder for the actors. People crowded around me on every side, trapping me in. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me under their arm, leading me safely out of the theatre and into the silent, lonely hallway.

I felt Gale kiss the top of my head. "You did great."

"You helped."

"I just stood there," he replied, confused.

"You made me realize who I am."

He squeezed me lightly, and rested his head on top of mine.

I heard my father start to call my name from behind me, before my mother shushed him.

I pulled away from Gale and took his hand, pulling him back to my parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Gale. Gale, this is Rapunzel, and Eugene. Back when he was a thief though, Dad was known as Flynn Rider."

Gale nodded, wide eyed, and shook my father's hand, before bowing slightly to my mother. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"And it's good to meet you," my mother started, "Alice talks so much about you in her letters."

"Does she?" Gale glanced down at me. I blushed and pretended to be extremely interested in a painting on the wall.

My father coughed.

I looked to him, and he gave me a stern look, before smiling unwillingly. "Well Blondie, we were off to go ah… see the um… garden! Yes that's it."

"We were?" my mother asked.

My father gave her a gentle look.

"Oh yes!" I could almost see the understanding dawn on her. She touched my face before skipping off down the hallway, which my father followed her down, laughing.

I smiled and took Gale's hand, hitching up my skirt to mid-calf with my other hand. I tugged him down the hallway, towards the library.

I walked through the archway with Gale in a tow. "This is my favorite part of the palace."

He looked around in awe. "I can see why. Is that your handwriting, above the window?"

I looked to the words I had said once.

If Magical Hair That Can Heal People Can Exist, Why Can't Mermaids?

I laughed. "I said that when I was little. My mom painted it up there."

"I don't understand it. Magical hair doesn't exist."

"Oh yes it does."

"How do you know?"

"I'll show you. Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine."

The blonde streaks in my hair started to glow brightly.

Gale gaped at them. Then he opened his mouth widely to scream.

"Don't freak out!"

He froze and shut his mouth.

I sighed. "Jeez, what is with guys and freaking out about these things? I mean really! Anyway, you see, when my grandmother was pregnant with my mother, she was deathly ill. The guards went to find a special flower, created by a piece of the sun that fell from the sky, and it could heal anything. My grandmother drank a special concoction from the flower that would heal her. Soon she gave birth to my mother, who had beautiful golden hair that had exactly the same powers. My mother was stolen, and her powers were used for years on someone who pretended to love her. Soon my father found her and cut her hair off to save her. When my mother gave birth to me, I had blonde streaks in my hair that have exactly the same powers. Only, I don't know if they're quite the same. I've never actually used them to heal anybody before."

"How come?"

"My mother worried that my powers might not be as strong, so if I wasn't careful, I could use them up completely and not have them anymore."

"Would you like to try them out?" Gale asked.

"I would," I whispered back.

Gale lifted up his sleeve to reveal a rather nasty cut on his arm.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, appalled.

"Doesn't matter right now."

I wrapped a golden streak around my hand and pressed it against his cut.

"Flower gleam and glow

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine.

Heal what has been hurt

Change the fate's design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine."

The cut stitched itself back together, erasing all traces of it ever existing. However, the blood remained.

Gale stared at his forearm, and gasped. "It works." He looked up at me. "It works."

"For now at least. I might have just used up whatever power I had."

"Maybe, maybe not. Want to go for a stroll in the woods?"

I smiled and nodded. "Let me go put on my pants first. I don't think a dress is right for a walk in the woods."

He smiled. "Ok."

I took his hand and lead him up the stairs to my bedroom. "Here, sit on the bed, and I'll get changed behind the screen."

He nodded and sat on my bed, examining the room with mild interest.

I walked behind the screen and untied the strings on the neckline of the dress. I pulled my arms out of the sleeves and lifted them through the neckline, letting the dress gracefully fall to the ground. I then pulled on my pants and shirt, buttoning all the buttons and making sure my knives were still in my belt. I then walked out to my bed. "Shall we go?"

He nodded and stood, and we walked out the door, so we could go to the woods, and perhaps, if we had time, the Cuddly Duckling.


	10. Chapter 9

As we strolled through the woods, hand in hand, my instincts were particularly rusty. I didn't notice the breaking of branches, the rustling of bushes, and the footsteps of strangers that were making noise all around us. All I saw was Gale.

Suddenly, we were in a clearing, where I finally noticed the strange feeling that was making the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and my scalp prickle. I looked all around; trying to figure out what was bothering me.

Gale pushed me behind him. "Turn around, and run. Don't stop until you get back to the palace."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

"I won't leave you again, Gale."

He gave a frustrated sigh. "Fine, then go hide in the branches of a tree. Don't come out until I say so."

I turned around and hopped on the lowest branches of a willow tree, climbing until I found a spot where I was completely invisible, but I could still see Gale.

Suddenly, strange men broke out of the bushes all around the clearing, surrounding Gale completely. Suddenly I knew where he had gotten that cut on his arm. _Bandits, murderers_! I thought, fearful for Gale.

They were closing in on him, brandishing swords, knives, bows and arrows.

Gale unsheathed his sword and spun around and killed the one advancing from behind, who carried a bow and arrow.

Another one came up and slashed at him with a sword.

Gale sliced him along the neck, killing him instantly.

Gale spun around to kill one with a knife, but the bandit was swift, and dug the dagger into Gale's stomach.

I pressed my hands over my mouth tightly to keep from crying out.

The bandits laughed and all but one left. The last one, who held a sword in his hand, lifted Gale's head by his hair. He growled something in Gale's ear, but I didn't catch what he said.

Then he dropped Gale's head and turned around, striding out of the clearing.

I dropped quickly out of the tree, and rushed over to him, landing on my knees by his side.

"Gale, they might come back soon. Don't let them know you're alive."

"Alice—"

"_Promise_ me you won't let them know you're alive."

"I… I promise."

I wrapped a section of my hair around my hand once, and then pressed it against the wound in his stomach. "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine," I sang quickly.

"Alice, what are you doing?"

"Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine, what once was mine."

His skin stitched back together and his wound healed instantly. "You promised," I whispered, then stood up to try to escape. I knew Gale would be fine, as long as they thought he was dead. The blood was all still there anyway.

Somebody grabbed my left arm and spun me around to face them. I was inches away from one of the bandit's faces. I gasped, and he smiled disgustingly at me.

I reached my right hand down to my belt and swung out my knife quickly, cutting his hand, making him yelp and yank his hand back. He glared at me and drew his sword, giving me enough time to retrieve my other knife.

He swung at my arm, so I pulled back and slashed my knife at his wrist. He yanked his sword back to deflect the blow, and I danced around to his back to try and get his weak spot. He swung around at me with full force, driving me back several feet. He swung again, driving me back another few feet. I danced around him again, trying to get to his back. He twirled and whacked my left knife out of my hand. I swung my right arm at his sword, sending it backwards towards his torso. He thrust out, stabbing his blade at my torso, and I jumped back, narrowly avoiding it. He swung again, and knocked my right knife out of my hand.

I heard the near imperceptible sound of Gale moving, so I turned around to run back to him.

I saw him let the arrow fly towards the bandit.

Pain, unbearable pain.

Searing pain slashing across my back left bicep right hand slashed across my back hurts, hurts so bad. Falling, falling, arms, catching me, pain, arms touching the wound pain. Arms cradling me hand at my face hand holding my back. Pain searing pain. World spinning crashing down Gale going Gale fading eyes closing bleeding to death pain searing pain. Talking so much pain Gale talking to me words can't hear can't tell… words making sense coming through breaking through pain searing pain. Pain fading so numb so cold. Hurts, hurts so bad.

"Alice!" Gale screaming.

Move lips nothing comes out try to talk can't pain so much pain.

"Alice, Alice, please, don't leave me."

"I'm bleeding to death." Words finally coming out.

"I can't let you die, I won't do it. Alice, don't leave me."

"Cold."

He wrapped his arms tighter around me, more pain. Wincing, but thoughts still come through semi-clear. Not broken anymore.

He took a bit of my hair and pressed it to my back. "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine… why isn't it working? Why isn't your hair glowing?"

"Gale."

I could see the pain in his eyes when he looked at me.

"Alice, I'm so, so sorry. You didn't get to finish your dreams first."

I tried to raise my hand to his face, and failed. "You're my dream."

"Alice, don't do that, don't say things like that. I won't let you die. I won't."

"You have to."

The world was escaping me; blood was leaving too fast, pouring out of my wound. I was bleeding so fast, the darkness was closing in. Darkness, so much darkness. The world was going black, my head was going fuzzy, and things were fading. Mumbling filled my ear, and although I tried so hard to hear what Gale was saying to me, I couldn't.

* * *

><p>The bandit had slashed his sword across her back, from the top left side to her bottom right, and after staggering for a split second, she was falling.<p>

The arrow lodged in his throat, killing him almost instantly.

Gale ran forward and caught Alice, falling on his knees and cradling her against his chest, holding her head with one arm like a baby and holding her with the other arm around her torso, feeling the hot, wet blood trickle through his fingers.

He touched her face with his hand, and then slid it back down to her scalp, holding her head up.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Alice, don't go please don't go."

Her eyes were rolling around, her eyelids drooping as she tried to focus.

"Alice, look at me."

Her eyelids shut for a split second.

"Alice!"

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him. Her lips moved but nothing came out.

"Alice, Alice, please, don't leave me."

"I'm bleeding to death." She said it so clearly, so sure.

"I can't let you die, I won't do it. Alice, don't leave me."

"Cold." He hugged her tighter to his chest, making her wince.

He took a chunk of hair in his hand, a piece with blonde in it, and pressed it to her back. "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine… why isn't it working? Why isn't your hair glowing?" he was so frustrated, and helpless.

"Gale."

"Alice, I'm so, so sorry. You didn't get to finish your dreams first."

Her arm twitched, almost touching his face before falling again. "You're my dream."

"Alice, don't do that, don't say things like that. I won't let you die. I won't."

"You have to."

She was fading, he could see it. She was starting to leave him.

"Alice, you can't walk the other world without me. Please don't. Please."

She was fading, her eyes were closing.

Unable to do anything else, he lowered his head and kissed her.

He closed his eyes and let himself drown in pain.

He didn't notice the sun shining brightly on Alice's face.

He didn't notice Alice's hair start to glow.

He didn't notice himself feeling slightly weaker.

He didn't notice much of anything really.

* * *

><p>The world was coming back.<p>

My mind sharpened, I stopped feeling fuzzy. The pain was gone, the sounds were coming through.

I was coming back.

My eyes fluttered open, and everything spiraled sharply into focus. I could see Gale looking pained, and broken. I reached my hand up to touch his face.

His eyes snapped open and he looked down at me, confused. Then a smile broke through the pained expression, and he lifted me up and pulled me tightly into his arms, holding me carefully, but firmly.

I laughed as I played with the back of his collar. "I'm fine. I'm healed."

He gasped and squeezed me against him, and I knew he didn't intend on letting me go.

"Lovely dear, I wish you knew, just how much I love you," I whispered in his ear.

His shoulders shook from relieved laughter, as he whispered back, "I wish you knew that I've always loved you."

I buried my face in his shoulder and kept it there, while he lifted me up off the ground and carried me away.

I kept my face buried in the place where his neck and shoulder joined, and locked my legs around his waist. He held me up by holding me at my lower back.

"You should see your hair now," he muttered.

"Is it all brown?" I asked, not really caring.

"Not at all. It's blonde."

"All of it?" I gasped, pulling back to look him in the eye.

"All of it."

I picked up a piece, and saw that, yes indeed, it was all blonde. Wondering, I whispered, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine!"

It light up insanely bright, much brighter than it ever had before, when it was just streaks. I knew that now, it had to be much more powerful. I wondered if it would be the same as my mother's once was, growing so long that maybe someday, it would reach the bottom of my tower too.

But I'd cut it off long before that happened.

I looked up at Gale. "Do you like it?"

"I like everything about you," he assured me.

"Thanks."

He kissed my glowing hair, then my lips, and continued carrying me back to the castle.


	11. Chapter 10

**_Prepare yourself; the final chapter._**

So all's well that ends well, it seems.

As we all know, I stepped down as the immediate successor to the throne, and personally, I think it's the best decision i have ever made. Of course, I will still be the queen, should anything ever happen to Lily; i just wont be the queen _first._

Speaking of Lily, she grew up to be a fine young lady. She took the throne, and married a commoner, who, to all of our surprise, she had been sneaking out every night to see for years.

And here i'd been thinking she was a goody two shoes.

My parents are still just as happy as they've ever been, watching the two of us grow, and live out the textent of our lives.

And me? Well, I'm just the same as ever. Adventurous, hard headed...

And married!

Yes, Gale and I got married. I saw my mother crying in the first row, and I'm not positive, but my dad looked pretty close too.

So thats about it. I suppose I should end it in the best way i know how.

And so we all lived happily-

Oh, wait!

I forgot entirely about my hair!

Yes, it's completely blonde now, but it won't grow an inch. However, it has just the same power as my mother's used to have.

My father has taken to calling me Blondie Junior.

Alright, I'm done now. So, once and for all, here it is.

And we all lived Happily Ever After.

Whatever that means.

**_There it is! hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it! :)_**

**_Love love love,_**

**_Lexi_**


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